Alone In The Dark
by blakes8th
Summary: A team building event goes very badly wrong. This has some elements of Sandland in it, but if that's not your thing, don't let it put you off. The story is mostly about the team's family dynamic.
1. Chapter 1

Alone In The Dark

Disclaimer: New Tricks and all it's characters belong to the BBC. If I had any say, Anthony Calf would be in the main credits...Come on, it's been 9 years.

Rating:T to be safe.

Pairing; Sandland.

/

Lights.

Marvelous! He was seeing things now. He sighed, his warm breath a stark contrast to the ice forming on his lips. He watched the tiny yellow lights dancing in the distance, his body exhausted, he just wanted to close his eyes and go to sleep, but in this cold he knew that the moment he gave up, he was dead.

He tried to concentrate on anything other than the numbing pain in his feet, his hands which were balled up under his arms, in a strange sort of self embrace, were beyond pain, he could not feel them at all, his body shivering uncontrollably he tried to hide himself further down between the rocks, to get as much shelter as possible from the biting wind. He focused his eyes on the lights, 'will-o-the-wisp' a little voice in his head whispered. He remembered the story, told to him as a child, of fairy lights which lured travellers to their doom. He smiled to himself.

"Come on then." He whispered. They could take him if they wanted, he was beyond help, he was going to die out here on this bleak, freezing, desolate mountain side. He could accept that, he had already accepted his own demise, so long as the others didn't share his fate. His thoughts wandered to Sandra, her face ghostly white, contrasting with the bloom of red which seeped from the wound on her head. He remembered how he had last seen her, her unconscious form surrounded by Jack, Brian and Gerry. All battered, wet and freezing, huddled together for warmth, sheltering from the dark, wet and cold in that miserable hole. He prayed that he had succeeded in raising the alarm, that they would be found before the elements claimed four more victims. He watched the fairy lights in the distance, ethereal beings, or pockets of marsh gas? He didn't really care. He let out a small breath, a whisper on the wind, aimed to his children and to that woman, who he loved more than life itself.

"I love you." The words lost into wind. He gave into the cold and wet. He let the exhaustion claim him.

Robert Strickland closed his eyes.

/

Authors note: Ok. So who wants to know how he got to this point and what happens to the team?


	2. Chapter 2

Alone In The Dark

Disclaimer: See part 1. New tricks still belongs to Auntie Beeb.

Rating: T for some swearing

Pairing: Primarily Sandland, but this story is more about the team dynamic.

Note; I have never climbed Skafell pike, though my older brother did complete the three peaks challenge last summer and told me he found this one the hardest (That wasn't the exact language he used, I would have to up the rating!) I am sorry for any inaccuracies.

/

"No bloody way!"

"Bollocks!"

"Naff off!"

Sandra stood in the doorway, as she listened to the tirade of expletives erupting from the three members of her team, she had expected them to object, and to be honest she would have been mildly disappointed if they hadn't. She waited for a few moments until they had got the initial reaction out of their systems before speaking.

"If you've quite finished." She spoke in a loud, stern voice, getting their attention. Gerry interrupted.

"You sound like Minerva McGonagal." He moaned.

"Who?" Brian and Jack both said together.

"From Harry Potter.." He waited for some kind of recognition. "She's a teacher...A Witch..."

"Don't even start down that road." Sandra warned him. He grinned and went quiet. "Well, I know why Strickland didn't want to come down here to break the news."

"Bloody coward." Jack grumbled. Sandra glared at him.

"Team building?" Brian exclaimed. "We're already a team, we don't need building."

"Look guys. It's not his idea. This new team building competition has come straight from the Chief of Police. He argued against it, but has been told that we are to be the first to trial it."

"Why us?" Gerry asked. Sandra looked embarrassed. "Well?"

"Strickland asked the same question. Basically he was told that if we can do this, anyone can..." Her voice trailed off at the end as she waited for more explosions. She didn't have to wait long.

"Bloody cheek!"

"Out of bloody order, that is."

"They can go and f..."

"That's why Strickland came to me, to put the idea to you." She interrupted, cutting off the new tirade. She understood why they were annoyed, she had been when Strickland had told her.

"So, let me get this straight. Some pen pushing bigwig wants us to walk up a mountain, take a photo, and walk back down again, in the middle of January, to help us bond better as a team." Jack grumbled. Sandra nodded.

"Just one thing." Gerry held up his hand. "You said a team of five. I only count four." Sandra sighed, this bit she really wasn't looking forward to.

"The DAC pointed this out to the Commissioner. He was basically told to make sure he packed a woolly jumper."

"What! Stricker's is coming with us?" Gerry rolled his eyes. Sandra nodded.

"Believe me, he's not thrilled about the idea either."

"Oh, I bet he isn't. A bit of a come down, having to hang out with three old blokes on a mountain."

"That's not it. He told me he had other plans for this weekend."

"Maybe I've got other plans." Gerry demanded. Jack nodded.

"Cancel them. We have to do this."

"Why?" Brian questioned. "The higher ups can order you and Strickers to do it. But they can't order us."

"Yeah. What can they do to us?" Gerry grinned. Sandra sighed.

"They can cancel all our overtime, refuse our expenses and halve our yearly budget." The three men all went quiet.

"Can they do that?" Brian asked.

"Yes, they can." A new voice from the doorway assured them. Robert Strickland entered the room, trying to ignore the glares being aimed at him. "Look, I'm not happy about this either, but we are going to have to play along. As a small consolation, I've managed to secure a few perks. We can drive up to the lake district on Friday. I've booked rooms at the best hotel in the area, and the met are going to pick up all expenses so I suggest that over the next couple of days, you get yourselves equipped for a winter walking expedition, spare no expense and give me the receipts so I can pass them on to the Commissioner."

"Fair enough." Jack shrugged.

"All expenses?" Gerry asked. Robert frowned.

"All expenses associated with this particular task. Yes." He clarified. "Any questions?"

"Yeah, what if I'm ill on Friday." Gerry asked. Robert sighed.

"Please don't be." He could feel a headache forming. "We'll go up on Friday, stay in a decent hotel, eat good food, drink good wine. The weather is supposed to be awful at the weekend. On Saturday morning, I'll make the decision that the conditions are too bad, and we come home and rescue what ever is left of the weekend. Does that sound acceptable?" He watched as the three men all looked at each other.

"Sounds alright." Brian conceded. The others nodded in agreement. Sandra nodded to her boss.

"At least we'll be showing willing." She pointed out.

"That's right, they can't hold us responsible for bad weather." Gerry exclaimed. Jack shook his head.

"I bet they will."

/

Friday came about far too fast for the liking of the UCOS team, and the fact they were right in the middle of a case didn't help. It took several hours to drive up to the lake district, especially with the four of them plus luggage all crammed into Jack's car.

"I'm beginning to wish I'd taken Stricker's up on his offer." Gerry moaned about four hours into the drive.

"Well he offered you a seat in his car, so it's your own fault you're stuck in the back seat." Sandra scolded. She was just as pissed off as him.

"Well, why didn't you take him up on his offer. You've been very pally with him of late." He retorted. Sandra glared at him.

"Because this way I can be sure you don't 'get lost' and end up back in London." She answered.

The journey eventually came to an end as they pulled into the car park of 'The Highwayman Country Hotel'. They all piled out, stretching and moaning. Brian indicated the other side of the car park.

"See Strickland is already here." He pointed to DAC's Mercedes.

"He probably didn't have to keep stopping for toilet breaks." Gerry grouched, pointedly looking at Sandra. She glared back.

"Or cigarette breaks." She countered.

"Will you two pack it in!" Jack finally snapped. "It's like having a pair of children in the back seat." Brian chuckled.

"They take after you..Dad."

"Oh, piss off!" Jack grumbled, but he couldn't keep from grinning. They made their way into the foyet, noticing the figure sitting in the small lounge area. As they approached, they saw that he was on the phone, and overheard the end of his conversation.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't have any choice...Yes, I know I promised...I'll make it up to you...I miss you too...I'll see you as soon as I can... I love you...Good night." He hung up and sat looking at the phone for a moment, obviously thinking of the person who had been on the other end. Gerry leaned in and whispered to the others;

"No wonder he didn't want to come. He was on a promise."

"Oh grow up!" Sandra snapped, earning a series of strange looks from her team. Strickland must have heard the exchange because he stood and turned to face them, his smile forced.

"Evening, I was starting to get concerned." He reached into the pocket of his trousers. "I checked us in. Here are your key cards. I booked a table for the four of you in the restaurant for eight o/clock, so you have a little time to get freshened up if you want." He pocketed his phone and handed out the cards.

"You're not eating with us?" Brian asked. Robert smiled wryly.

"Do you want me to?" He watched the look that passed across the faces of the three men. "I didn't think so. I'm going to have a snack in my room and get an early night. We have a nine o/clock start in the morning, but I'll check the weather forecast before we leave the hotel. See you all tomorrow." He nodded to them and headed towards the stairs. The group looked at each other. Gerry spoke first.

"I feel really guilty now." He said. Sandra sighed.

"He hears you know. All the names, the sarcastic comments, the piss taking. It's not just you guys, he gets it wherever he goes." She sat down sadly, focusing on the key card. "He's the proverbial square peg. He doesn't quite fit in anywhere."

"How do you know?" Jack asked. Sandra smiled.

"Back in October, when I found out about Tom's existance, he knew something was wrong, it was him who had told me about the bloodstain. He turned up that evening at my place with a bottle of wine and let me vent on him. He was still feeling a bit raw about the Berlin witch, so we got quietly pissed and talked most of the night."

"Talked?" Gerry's eyebrows shot up. Sandra rolled her eyes.

"Yes! Talked. As you pointed out, we got 'pally'. He's a very good listener."

"I bet he is." Jack grouched. Sandra stood.

"This is exactly my point. He gets here first, checks in for us, organises a table for dinner, yet you still can't find a nice thing to say about him. I'm going for a shower. See you at eight." She stalked off towards the stairs. The men watched her leave.

"Is it me, or did we touch a nerve?" Jack muttered. Gerry nodded.

"Quite a raw one." He agreed. Brian turned towards the stairs.

"She's got a point though."

/

Dinner was quite subdued, the atmosphere slightly awkward as they ordered their starters. It was Brian who broke the silence.

"Why don't we call him and see if he wants to join us?" He suggested. He had been feeling guilty since they had heard the man on the phone when they had first arrived, the fact that none of them had taken up his invitation of travelling with him, resulting in them being crammed into Jack's saloon while he had driven up alone gave him an uncomfortable feeling. He knew what it felt like to be excluded, kept out in the cold. He was uncomfortable with the knowledge that he was guilty of doing that to another person. Overhearing the conversation, and realising that Strickland was missing out on a weekend with someone he was involved with and was instead stuck with them, giving him a hard time over the situation which was not his fault, it had made Brian rethink how they were treating their boss. He shrugged as the others looked at him. "This isn't his fault."

"It wouldn't do any harm, not much point in him being stuck up there on his own while were down here." Jack agreed. Brian nodded.

"Exactly, this is supposed to be a team building exercise. We may as well start building."

"Yeah, I know if I was missing out on a naughty weekend I'd be pretty miserable. Give him a call." Gerry agreed. Sandra shook her head.

"He won't come down. He'll think he's intruding." She explained. Gerry stared at her.

"How come you know so much about him all of a sudden?"

"I just do. Leave him be for tonight. Maybe you could try being a bit nicer tomorrow though."

/

It was the next morning much to soon for Sandra's liking. The meal had been delicious and she had eaten far too much, that coupled with the copious amount of white wine meant the only walking she wanted to do this morning was between her bed and bathroom.

She stood by the entrance to the hotel, her jacket zipped up around her chin and her hat pulled down, she squinted against the glare of the low winter sun and wished the hammering in her head would recede. She watched as Brian joined her, looking every bit the part in his walking gear. He smiled brightly as he approached.

"Good Morning, isn't it beautiful. I think I might quite enjoy today." He grinned brightly. Sandra muttered a greeting under her breath. They watched as Jack and Gerry emerged from the hotel, both looking the worst for wear. They shared quiet greetings and watched as the mini bus pulled up to take them and the other gathered tourists to the base of Scafell. As they climbed aboard the bus, Gerry looked around.

"Where's the bossman?" He asked.

"He's already there. He took the early bus to get things ready, and he wanted to check the weather."

"What time was that?" Brian asked. "I was awake early, I could have gone with him."

"He left at seven."

"How do you know?" Jack quizzed. Sandra shrugged.

"He sent me a text."

They soon arrived at the starting point. As they got out of the bus, they saw Strickland in a very animated conversation on his phone. They approached and overheard the end.

"Yes Sir...I understand Sir." He hung up and sighed.

"I take it that means we are going." Sandra smiled wryly at him. He nodded.

"The Commissioner's parting words were, and I quote, 'stop making excuses and get your pensioners up that mountain'. His words, not mine. Sorry guys."

"Hey, that's alright, It looks like it's going to be a nice day anyway." Brian smiled, Gerry and Jack just grunted through their hangovers.

"Don't suppose anyone's got a paracetamol?" Gerry asked. Sandra sighed and gave him the pack which was still in her pocket from when she herself had had two earlier. "Thanks." he grunted, taking two of the tablets and handed the packet to Jack. Strickland smiled.

"Enjoyed the bar last night?" He asked. Sandra nodded.

"A bit too much I think."

"Well, unfortunately, the weather isn't going to stay like this, there is rain coming later this afternoon. It's about a seven mile round trip. If we leave now, we should be easily back before it starts getting dark."

"Do we have everything we need?" Brian asked, viewing the rucksacks at Strickland's feet. The younger man nodded.

"I've got a map, compass, mountain whistle, some energy bars and drinks, plenty of water, a couple of head torches and a first aid kit and emergency blanket. And just for you, I had the hotel fill two flasks with coffee and put together some sandwiches." He looked around the group. "I see you all have good boots and jackets, do you have waterproof trousers?"

"I've got mine." Brian answered. Sandra nodded.

"Wearing them, and they are lined. Best money can buy, especially as it's not my money." Gerry said pointing to the trousers he was wearing. Jack nodded.

"Mine too."

"Ok, well I've split the supplies between the bags. The red one's are the lightest. The two green ones are slightly heavier. The blue one is mine, that's the heaviest..."

"Why do you have to have the heaviest?" Brian griped. Strickland rolled his eyes.

"You can have it if you want."

"Ummm, no you're alright." Brian conceded.

They started out and had been making good time, the little party had been engaged in friendly chatter and some banter, while Sandra and Brian had been snapping away with their cameras, capturing the stunning beauty of the view. But it was too good to last, and sure enough, the clear sky clouded over and It started to drizzle, then the drizzle gave way to rain, which became a downpour. The group found temporary relief from the driving rain under a rocky outcrop and settled for a rest.

"Well, this is fun." Jack observed, looking out into the driving rain. Robert sighed.

"We have a decision to make. We are about a mile from the peak. But it's taking longer than it should, we only have about four hours of clear daylight left. It will get dark quickly today. I think we should turn back now." He looked around the group. They were all soaked and miserable, but he could see a determination in their eyes.

"We are nearly there." Brian answered. "It seems a shame to turn back now."

"These 'pensioners' have some life left in them yet." Jack agreed. Gerry nodded.

"I want to do this. Show them we're not past it."

"Don't let the Commissioner's goading influence you. He wouldn't do this." Strickland warned. Sandra looked around the team.

"It's taken us two hours to get this far. We have four hours until we lose the light. How about we rest for half an hour, have the sandwiches and something to drink, then carry on for another thirty minutes, then turn back, whether we've hit the top or not."

"Sounds reasonable." Gerry agreed. Robert frowned.

"We'll be pushing it light wise."

"We have the torches." Jack pointed out.

"We could put it to a vote." Brian suggested, Robert shook his head.

"Not a lot of point, I know when I'm beaten." He opened his pack and handed round the food. Sandra poured the coffee out. Jack pulled a small hip flask from his coat pocket and poured a small amount of golden liquid into each cup.

"A little added warmth." He winked. They ate in silence for a few minutes, before Gerry felt the need to strike up a conversation.

"So. I should be at the park with little Gerry about now. Where would you be?"

"Esther wanted me to trim the hedge today. Then I'd have taken Scampi out for a run. What about you Jack?"

"Oh, the same as usual. A good book, in my favourite chair."

"Same for me really, nice glass of wine, chick flick, nice and relaxed." She leaned back against the rock, trying to lose herself in her daydream."

"What about you Sir." Gerry asked. The younger man shrugged.

"Not much. Paperwork probably."

"What, no lady to be wined and dined." He grinned. Strickland looked at him puzzled. "We couldn't help but overhear you on the phone yesterday evening."

"Leave it Gerry." Sandra warned. A dark look had come over their boss.

"Oh, come on. This is supposed to be a team building exercise."

"Gerry, please..." Sandra started, but she stopped as Robert laid a hand on her arm.

"It's okay." He told her. He looked down at the floor. "I was supposed to have my children for the weekend." He paused. "I haven't been able to see them much over Christmas, my ex took them away for the holidays. They go back to boarding school this week." He stood, pulling his hood up.

"Where are you going?" Sandra asked him, he smiled, but Sandra could see it was a forced one.

"To find the gents, I won't be long." He stood and wandered out of sight around the back of the rocks which were protecting them from the elements.

"Shit." Gerry sighed. "I never meant to..." He went quiet. Brian looked at Sandra.

"You knew?" He asked, she nodded.

"Yes. He told me the other day, when he first heard about this stupid outing."

She stood. "Give me a minute." She followed where Robert had disappeared, leaving the three men, sipping at their coffee, deep in thought.

Sandra found Robert about twenty yards up the hill, leaning against a rock, she laid a hand on his arm. He smiled gently.

"Sorry, I had to have a moment on my own." He told her. She smiled softly at him.

"I know." She stepped closer to him, looping her arms around his back. He wrapped her up in his embrace, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead. She tipped her face upward and they shared a brief, chaste kiss. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"I've missed that." She sighed. He laughed softly.

"It's only been just over twenty four hours."

"I know, but last night, knowing you were only a few doors away. I nearly came tapping on your door in the middle of the night." She admitted, he kissed her lightly again.

"I wouldn't have turned you away."

"I know, that's why I stayed strong. I will tell the boys soon, but I'd rather it be on my terms, not getting caught sneaking out of your hotel room." He nodded sadly.

"I know how difficult it is for you. Don't worry, it will all work out eventually." He smiled. "You had better get back, one of them may come looking for you. I'll follow you in a minute." She gave him another kiss and made her way back along the rough path, as she rounded the rocks, she jumped slightly as she nearly bumped into Jack. He was stood, his arms folded, waiting for her. She swallowed nervously.

"How much...?" She whispered.

"Did I see? Enough." He finished. "How long?" He asked sternly. Sandra thought about lying, but realised there was no point, Jack could always see through her.

"Almost two months." She replied. He nodded.

"Makes sense now. So, when did you plan on telling us?"

"Oh, Jack. Don't you think I've tried?" She sighed. "It never seemed quite the right time." She paused, "Are you going to tell the others?"

"No, it's not my place. But you had better say something soon, they're not daft and they will work it out." She nodded.

"I will, but not here, not on this mountain. We're too confined...If that makes sense."

"It does. Come on, we had better get moving." He turned and headed back, Sandra followed. Brian and Gerry were packing the stuff away. Gerry looked up as they approached.

"Is he alright?" He asked. Jack gave Sandra a little sideways glance.

"Oh, he's fine." He answered. Sandra flushed slightly.

"He'll be along in a moment." She murmured. Just then the man in question came into sight.

"Come on then." He said, before anybody else could say anything. "If you're all sure you want to carry on that is." He added. They all nodded.

"Lead on." Jack told him, throwing him a look which made Robert pause. He glanced at Sandra, who mouthed 'later'. He nodded and pulling on his pack, they set out into the rain.

They had been walking for about twenty minutes, the rain had started to get lighter and the team were in better spirits when they came upon a small rock slide blocking the trail. Several large boulders had fallen, bringing a small tree and mud with them. Robert sighed.

"If we go back a bit, we can take the other path, it may take a bit longer though." He suggested. Sandra frowned.

"We're already losing the light. Surly we can just climb over. It's not that big."

"I'm not sure..."

"Let's give it a go!" Gerry grinned, "Where's your sense of adventure?"

"I think it turned back an hour ago." Robert muttered under his breath. He watched, concerned as Gerry and Brian started picking their way across the debris, Sandra followed, she reached back her hand for Jack to follow when the tree shifted under the weight of the walkers. Sandra was thrown off balance, her arms pin wheeling she fell backwards onto the boulder below, a sickening thud echoing around as her head made contact with the hard surface, Gerry had tried to catch her, then yelped in pain as a smaller boulder shifted and pinned him by the ankle. Brian toppled forward, hissing with pain as his shoulder struck the ground.

"Sandra!" Robert shouted, as he jumped down the four foot drop to where she lay motionless. Jack helped Brian down, then Gerry, who was limping heavily. Robert gathered Sandra into his arms.

"Shouldn't we keep her still?" Gerry asked, his face pale.

"I don't trust those rocks." He said. "We have to get to shelter." He pointed to a small gathering of moss covered boulders they had walked past a few moments before. "There, I can take Sandra, can you help Gerry?" Jack nodded. He slung one of Gerry's arms over his shoulder. Brian did the same, avoiding his injured shoulder. Robert lifted Sandra, cradling her against his chest. "Hold on." He whispered to her as he carried her back along the path. They made it to the cluster and Robert gently laid her down. He looked around the battered group, he noticed how the light had almost disappeared, he put his pack down and retrieved the torches, putting one on, he handed the other to Jack. He pulled out the first aid kit and searched through it.

"Damn!" He swore. Jack looked at him, concerned.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing useful for a head wound. There are some small dressings, a sling, some cold compresses." He looked around him. "We need to get some help up here." He checked his phone. "No reception. The chap in the hotel told me that mobile phone signals were nearly none existent on the way up and patchy at the top."

"Do you think anyone will start searching for us?" Brian asked. Robert shook his head.

"This is a tourist area. People come and go all day. Unless the staff at the hotel raise the alarm, no-one will even realise we're still up here." He pulled the emergency blanket from the bag. It was a thin metallic sheet, almost like foil, he laid it on the ground, against a boulder. "Jack, take off your coat and sit on the sheet against the rock." Jack did as the younger man asked. Robert gathered the limp form of Sandra off the ground and gentle laid her up against Jack's chest. Jack caught on and held her steady as Robert wrapped the blanket around them, then he turned to the others. "You two sit either side."

Brian nodded.

"Combine our body heat." He said. Robert nodded.

"Have you noticed that it's stopped raining?" The men nodded. "The sky has cleared, you can see the stars, which unfortunately means the temperature is going to drop like a stone. We're all soaked through. There is a real danger of hypothermia." The three older men all looked at each other. They huddled together, and Robert arranged Jack's coat over them, then he took off his own and added it to the mix.

"What about you?" Gerry asked. Robert shook his head.

"I'm going to go further up, try to get a signal through and call for help." He brushed the hair away from Sandra's forehead. The gash on the side of her head was still bleeding, He pulled off his thick fisherman's jumper and pulled off the white t-shirt underneath, before replacing the jumper. He held the shirt against the wound.

"You can't, as you said, it's going to get colder. It will be even colder further up, the wind chill will take it down into minus figures." Brian pointed out. Robert looked into the face of the unconscious woman.

"She needs to get to hospital." He said, his eyes not leaving her face. Jack's voice cut in.

"I know about you two, I saw you earlier." He stated, Robert looked up at the man who he knew looked on Sandra as a daughter.

"Then you know why I have to do this." He said, his voice quiet. Gerry and Brian were looking backwards and forwards between the two during the exchange.

"You mean.. You and Sandra?" Brian questioned, Robert nodded.

"The two of you are together?" Gerry asked. An edge to his voice. Again, Robert just nodded. "And you were going to tell us when?"

"She didn't want to upset anyone. Any way, I don't think she really wants the fact that we are seeing each other to be common knowledge."

"How do you mean?" Brian asked. Robert held the white cloth against her head with his left hand, and gently caressed her face with the other. He sighed.

"You are not the only ones who think I'm a waste of space. It's the general consensus around the station that I'm a total prick. You three are her family, your opinion means everything to her. I'd rather be her dirty little secret, than have her choose you over me, for however long we are together anyway." There was no sign of bitterness in his voice, just a sad acceptance of the way things were. Jack looked at him, his eyes blazed with anger.

"This is just an affair to you? She's just a means to get your leg over?" He hissed. Robert looked up at him, startled.

"She's the world to me. I'd die for her. But she made it very clear, when we first kissed that she doesn't do long term relationships." He looked back to the woman in question. "I'm just grateful for every minute we've had together."

"Just because she hasn't had a very good time with men in the past, doesn't mean she can't change her mind if the right bloke came along." Gerry reasoned. Robert shook his head.

"That won't be me though, will it." He leaned forward and brushed a kiss across her forehead.

"It won't be if you go up that bloody hill!" Brian cut in, "The temperature's dropping like a stone, and you're wet through to the skin. You'll freeze to death."

"Doesn't matter what happens to me. She needs medical attention." He looked around at the three men. "You all do."

"Maybe, but we're a team, we don't do that 'good of the many' bollocks. We're more 'all for one'." Gerry insisted, he was trying to suppress the shivering which was threatening to overtake him. Robert nodded.

"I know, but then again, I've never been one of the 'team' have I. I'm the enemy. The one you dislike so much, Sandra has been afraid to tell you about us." His eyes made contact with Jack's. "Look after her for me. And tell... tell my children that I'm sorry." With that he stood and pulled a bottle of water out of the pack turned, and jogged away into the darkness, the team could see the light of the head torch for a few minutes until they finally lost sight of it. They huddled together, each of them too lost on their thoughts to speak.

/

It was almost an hour later when Sandra began to stir. She moaned slightly, burrowing down under the blanket, away from the cold. Jack whispered to her, trying to sooth her.

"Robert."She murmured. Jack looked at Gerry, he could see the younger man was fighting tears. Brian had lost the fight and was trying to control the shuddering sobs which were threatening to overwhelm him.

"It's Jack, it's okay, try not to move." Sandra stiffened.

"Why am I sitting on your lap?" She groaned. "I can't remember how..." She trailed off, closing her eyes. "My head hurts."

"You fell and hit your head. You've probably got a concussion. Stay still, we're trying to keep warm, it's dropped below freezing." Jack told her. Sandra cracked her eyes open again.

"Where's Rob?" She asked, a hint of fear creeping into her voice. Jack held her tighter, not sure how to answer. Gerry wiped the moisture from his eyes.

"You hit your head, I've done my ankle and Brian's knackered his shoulder. The boss has gone further up the path to try and get a phone signal through to get help up to us." He explained gently. Sandra looked around slowly, as if she was trying to see the missing man.

"But...But, his coat's here. He can't have gone without his coat, he'll freeze." She said. She looked around her team, they all avoided making eye contact with her, she felt a cold lump in the pit of her stomach. "He'll freeze." She repeated, her voice nothing but a whisper. Jack held her tighter.

"He'll be okay." He tried soothing her. He tried to distract her thoughts. "Tell us about him."

"Like I said earlier, he's a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. He never knew his real father. His mother was the daughter of a wealthy titled family, but she had him out of wedlock. She married a peer after he was born, so he grew up an outcast among his own family and was basically disowned as soon as he turned eighteen. He's worked so hard to get where he is."

"I always thought he was a spoiled rich kid." Gerry admitted. Sandra smiled at him.

"He's not. He's shy, much less confident than he appears, all of that is a front, a mask he wears to keep people from knowing the real him."

"What's he like, really. Tell us about the bloke behind the suit." Brian asked. She smiled softly, her features lighting up.

"He's gentle, and sensitive, always giving little cuddles and kisses. He makes me feel so special." She sighed. "He's funny and kind, he's the sort of man I've been waiting my whole life to meet."

"How long have you been keeping this from us?" Gerry asked, trying to keep the hurt out of his voice. Sandra sighed.

"About seven weeks. And I didn't want to keep him secret, I'm not ashamed of him or anything. I knew how this would upset things, and the time never seemed right. I think I wanted to be sure that I was in love, not lust."

"And are you?" Jack asked gently. She nodded.

"I am now, because the thought of not seeing him again..." She stopped, unable to finish.

"He will be fine, he'll get a call through to the emergency services, then he'll make his way back to us. You'll see, he'll appear, all suave and Bondish." Jack tried to reassure her, but his voice held no conviction.

The three men were used to Sandra's temper, they could handle her ranting at them, cursing and swearing at their irresponsibility. What the team were finding hard to cope with was the way she lowered her face and started to quietly cry. Her heart wrenching sobs tearing at their souls. Jack held her head close to his shoulder, looking to the clear starry sky, felt the warm tears on his face as he said a silent prayer.

/

Robert kept on checking his phone as he walked, the freezing wind biting into him, making him short of breath. He suddenly realised he was on the summit. A small fragment of his ego punched the air and tried for a high five, but the rest of his id was too exhausted to respond. He slumped down in the shelter of a large boulder and dialed nine, nine, nine. He waited for the few seconds for the call to connect until he heard the heavenly voice on the end of the line.

"Which service do you require?"

"I need mountain rescue, my group of five is stranded on Skafell pike, three are injured, one is a head injury, the temperature is dropping fast. We set off up the Wasdale path, and are about a mile from the summit, there was a rock slide on the path" He tried to relay as much information as he could as fast as he could, aware that he could lose the signal any moment.

"I have passed those details on, mountain rescue will be with you as soon as they can. Can you tell me the condition of the injured party?" The voice asked him, he felt a stab of regret in his heart.

"No, sorry. I had to leave them to get a phone signal, the last time I saw her she was still unconscious. Hello...Hello." He looked at the phone, the bars were gone, no reception. He sighed, he had given the alarm, help would be on the way to his team. He hunkered down, tucking his hands under his arms. His breath was making clouds in the cold air, ghostly swirls of white in front of his eyes. He knew there was no point in trying to find his way back, it was too dark and he had lost the path ages ago. He turned the head torch off to preserve the battery and made himself as small as possible to try and stay out of the biting wind. He thought about those he had left behind, the three men who, despite their animosity towards him he felt fortunate to be associated with. Brian, his over active brain which sometimes made him seem almost childlike, but with an enthusiasm for his work which at times was endearing and infuriating in equal parts. Gerry with his boyish charm and cheerful disposition, but with a heart of gold who would back you up in the most dire of situations. Last of all, Jack. The father of the team, watching over them, ready with a sharp reprimand or a gentle encouragement, whichever was needed. Sandra would be alright with them, they would help her through this, no matter what happened to him, she would have her foster family to give her support.

"Sandra." He whispered her name into the wind, watching the swirls of white, imagining them carrying his love to her. He just couldn't comprehend how a woman as amazing as her would choose to be with someone as useless as him. He had planned to introduce her to his children this weekend, the three most important people in his life, together for the first time. He knew that Roo and Mione would both love Sandra, but he hadn't told them about her yet, he knew that if his evil ex had got wind of his plans she'd have put a spanner in the works, God forbid he should ever be happy. He wondered if they would ever meet Sandra now.

He knew he was being maudlin, that he was looking at the worst case scenario, but he couldn't help it, he knew it would take a couple of hours for the search and rescue to find the others, then they would have to come and find him. He had no idea where the main path was, he had lost it when the rubble and mud that had been washed down in the rain had covered it and he had had to try and guess which way it went. He had got it wrong and found himself out in the open, with very little cover. The temperature had plummeted, the grass had turned white and he could feel the water in his sodden hair starting to freeze. Had he been dry, he would have maybe had several hours, but he was wet through, and probably had a couple of hours maximum before hypothermia set in. It didn't take the mathematical genius of Brian to figure out that his chances were slimmer than a super model.

He looked up at the sky, the bright stars twinkling in the clear sky. He had set off on this expedition from her place, having stayed the night at her flat. He had woken early on the Friday morning and had revelled in the feeling of complete contentment as he had laid with Sandra pillowed against his shoulder, her light breathing disturbing the fine hairs on his chest. He remembered waking her gently, so that he could get ready and be out of the way before her team arrived and how they had made love in the shower.

He had kissed her gently as he had left. He wished he had made more of that last kiss, their final moments alone. He wished he had told her how much he loved her, how happy she made him. He pulled his phone out and typed a text message, he pressed send, knowing the message would be stuck in limbo until they got off this rock, but at least she would get it. At least she would know that in these final few hours, she was in his mind.

And that he loved her.

/

"Can anyone else hear that, of have I gone mad?"

Gerry and Jack lifted their faces to their comrade, He was sat up straight, looking very much like his spaniel when a cheese sandwich was within earshot.

"You've always been bloody mad." Jack grumbled. Gerry shook his head.

"No listen, he could be right, I can hear voices."

"I heard a dog barking." Brian confirmed.

"Jack, keep Sandra comfortable, I'll go and have a look." Gerry said, he went to stand. "Arrrrggg!" He sat back heavily, his exclamation of pain woke Sandra.

"Wha...?"

"Shhh, It's okay, we can hear voices." Jack soothed her.

"Robert?"

"Maybe. Stay still, your head has finally stopped bleeding."

"Gerry, your ankle is knackered, remember." Brian scolded. Gerry nodded.

"Yeah, I do now. I think it had stopped hurting because of the cold, I forgot for a moment."

"I'll go."

"What about your shoulder?"

"I don't need my shoulder to walk. It's feeling a bit better anyway I think I've only bruised it. Don't worry, I'll only go a few meters. Keep the head torch on so I can find my way back." He stood, Sandra stopped him.

"Brian, please be careful, don't go too far. Take Rob's coat and put it on top of yours."

"He wanted to make sure you stayed warm..."

"I know, I am warm. Please.." She almost pleaded with him. He nodded and took the coat from the top of the pile and slipped it over his, it was a very snug fit, but Brian had to admit that it made a huge difference now he was stood up in the wind. He clambered back along the path until he could see back the way they had come. He could make out lights, he took off his glasses and wiped them, just in case it was a trick of the light. No! There were definitely lights, torches! He jogged towards them.

"Hey! Over here!" He shouted. He blinked as one of the powerful torch beams swung around onto him.

"They're here!" He heard a voice, then the clamour of more voices. Eventually he could make out a dozen or more figures, all wearing tabards with 'Wasdale mountain rescue' printed on them.

"We had a call, five people stranded, three injured." The man who reached him first spoke, his breath making clouds in the air. Brian nodded.

"That's us, we're just over here." He led them back to the others. "I hurt my shoulder, but it's not to bad. Gerry trapped his ankle, he can't put any weight on it, but Sandra fell about four feet onto rock. She hit her head."

"Has she been conscious?"

"In and out."

They got back to the group and the rescuers started to load Gerry and Sandra onto the stretchers. Brian spoke to the man in charge.

"Our friend went further up to get a phone signal through, we have to go and find him."

"Is that the person who called us?" He asked, Brian nodded.

"He must have, we haven't had a phone signal. We have to find him." Brian repeated, "He hasn't got a coat, he left it to keep Sandra warm." The man looked up the path.

"What on earth were you doing out here in this weather?" He asked, shaking his head.

"Don't blame us, we're the victims of a 'team building' venture organised by those in charge. Our boss, the bloke who has gone further up tried to call this whole stupid expedition off, but our top brass wouldn't let him." Brian argued. The rescuer held up his hands.

"Sorry, but you have no idea how many people we have to pull off this mountain who are unprepared. Lets just get you all back to safety.

"You're going to look for him though?"

"Of course, we'll get you all on your way back and the rest of us will carry on."

"I'm coming with you." A voice came from behind them, they turned and saw Jack standing behind them.

"I'm sorry sir, you should really go back with the others..." The rescuer started, Jack shook his head.

"Since this bloody fiasco started, Robert has done his best to keep us safe, he wanted to turn back, we ignored him, he brought all the supplies we needed, and made sure we were safe before he went off up this sodding mountain on his own. I'm not going to sit in the warm while he's still out here." He had a determined look on his face which Brian knew meant he wouldn't be budged on this. Brian patted his friend on the back.

"Are you sure?" He asked, Jack grinned.

"There's plenty of life left in this old dog yet. Gerry cant go with his ankle, and you really should get that shoulder looked at. I was in the thermal blanket with Sandra, I've almost dried out, and if one of our friends here lends me a dry coat, I'll be fine." The rescuer seemed to be thinking, so Jack played his trump card. "If I was a man of forty, would you be hesitating? I'm fit enough for the metropolitan police force to bring me out of retirement and re-employ me full time. I have passed all of the fitness exams they have put me through." The man looked at him for a moment before nodding.

"Alright, so long as you take full responsibility." He walked off towards his team.

"We only ever had that one fitness test, that was six years ago and we only just passed." Brian whispered. Jack shrugged.

"I promised Sandra." Was all he said. Brian understood.

"Be careful." Was all he said. The rescuer returned with four other men and a springer spaniel on a lead.

"Okay. We're wasting time. The dog is trained to find people, so we'll let him do the tracking..."

"Will it help if he has Robert's scent." Brian asked, the man nodded. "this is his coat." He handed the coat to the man. He turned and gave it to the dog handler. The small party headed out, Jack turned and gave Brian a small smile.

"Godspeed." Brian whispered to himself. "Bring him home."

/

Several hours later, Gerry was sitting in a chair next to a hospital gurney which had the pale, robed figure of Sandra laying on it, waiting to be taken for a scan which would ensure there was no internal bleeding in Sandra's brain. The doctors had assured them that she was alright, but wanted to make sure. They were now clean, dry and warm, but none of the group could lose the cold feeling in the pit of their stomachs. Brian had gone to phone Esther, unable to sit still. Gerry had his foot up on a chair, it was badly twisted and the joint was bruised, but not broken, the nurses has strapped it up and given him some pain killers. He sat quietly, watching Sandra sleep, she had been fitful and restless since coming off the mountain, her mind firmly on the two men still up there, one like a father to her, the other, her lover, a man who until today, Gerry had had very little regard for. He wasn't happy that Sandra had kept her relationship secret from them, but he could understand it. He reached over and gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, he could understand how the man lost up on that frozen hillside could so completely fall for her, to the point where he was willing to risk everything for her. Not so many years ago, he had an eye for the strong minded, fearless blonde himself, that was before he had realised that a relationship would have been a disaster. Sandra needed a man completely unlike those she seemed to be drawn to. She needed someone who would let her be herself, without compromise, someone who she could trust implicitly. That hadn't been him, he had a seriously dodgy track record with women, and he knew that, in the end, he and Sandra worked much better as friends.

And now his friend was in pain, she was suffering in a way he could only imagine. He looked up as Brian came back in.

"Esther is driving up. She's ringing your Emily, to let her know you are safe." Brian told him, slumping down in the chair on the opposite side of Sandra. He rubbed his shoulder, the doctor had confirmed that it was just badly bruised and in a few days it would be right as rain. He looked at the sleeping woman.

"Has she been asleep since I left?" He asked. Gerry nodded.

"She's exhausted. At least she can't be worrying herself sick while she's asleep." He frowned as he felt a vibration in his pocket. He pulled out Sandra's phone, which the nurse had given him when they had checked in Sandra's belongings. He gave a wry grin. "I've got a signal." He told Brian, the older man snorted.

"Better late than never I suppose." Gerry looked at the display.

"There's a message...It's from 'Rob'" He whispered.

"He's alright!" Brian smiled hopefully. Gerry shrugged.

"It could have been sent hours ago. It's only just been delivered." his finger hovered over the button.

"Well, go on! It could be him saying he's okay." Brian prompted. Gerry opened the message, as he read it, he couldn't help the tears from falling down his face. "What! What does it say?" Brian asked, fearful of his friends reaction. Gerry handed the mobile to him. Brian looked at the words on the screen.

"What does it say?" Both men jumped as Sandra spoke. Brian swallowed nervously. "Please, I need to know." She begged. He nodded and handed her the phone.

_'Whatever happens, I love you, always have and I always will. Rob.'_

/

Author's note; This is getting bigger than I expected. The next part will follow shortly. xxx


	3. Chapter 3

Alone In The Dark

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

Notes: I have never suffered from hypothermia, and to be honest, hope I never do, (I have no intention of taking my research that far!) I have done a little reading on the subject of hypothermia and how to treat it, and I have done my best to get my facts correct...ish. Please forgive any glaring errors and put it down to the plot bunny getting drunk on fermenting apples.

The first part of this chapter is the teaser chapter that I posted as chapter 1, then the story will continue...

/

_Lights._

_Marvelous! He was seeing things now. He sighed, his warm breath a stark contrast to the ice forming on his lips. He watched the tiny yellow lights dancing in the distance, his body exhausted, he just wanted to close his eyes and go to sleep, but in this cold he knew that the moment he gave up, he was dead._

_He tried to concentrate on anything other than the numbing pain in his feet, his hands which were balled up under his arms, in a strange sort of self embrace, were beyond pain, he could not feel them at all, his body shivering uncontrollably he tried to hide himself further down between the rocks, to get as much shelter as possible from the biting wind. He focused his eyes on the lights, 'will-o-the-wisp' a little voice in his head whispered. He remembered the story, told to him as a child, of fairy lights which lured travellers to their doom. He smiled to himself. _

"_Come on then." He whispered. They could take him if they wanted, he was beyond help, he was going to die out here on this bleak, freezing, desolate mountain side. He could accept that, he had already accepted his own demise, so long as the others didn't share his fate. His thoughts wandered to Sandra, her face ghostly white, contrasting with the bloom of red which seeped from the wound on her head. He remembered how he had last seen her, her unconscious form surrounded by Jack, Brian and Gerry. All battered, wet and freezing, huddled together for warmth, sheltering from the dark, wet and cold in that miserable hole. He prayed that he had succeeded in raising the alarm, that they would be found before the elements claimed four more victims. He watched the fairy lights in the distance, ethereal beings, or pockets of marsh gas? He didn't really care. He let out a small breath, a whisper on the wind, aimed to his children and to that woman, who he loved more than life itself._

"_I love you." The words lost into wind. He gave into the cold and wet. He let the exhaustion claim him._

_Robert Strickland closed his eyes. _

"ROBERT!" He thought he must be hearing things, he tried to raise his head which felt like it weighed a tonne, but there it was again, "Robert!" His name being called, not too distant. He tried to call back, but he couldn't form any sounds which resembled words. He reached his numb hand up and switched on the head torch, letting the focused led beam into the night sky.

"There! Over there!" He heard the shout, and the sound of running feet. He became aware of a group approaching and fought against the fatigue which was trying to overwhelm him. He tried to get up, but his body wouldn't respond, his legs were jelly and he couldn't feel his hands or feet.

"Steady! It's alright, we've got you." He felt a pair of arms help him regain his balance. "Josh! Bring the thermal blankets and heat packs." Robert felt himself being enfolded in a blanket, not dis-similar to the one he had left Sandra wrapped in. He looked into the face of his rescuer.

"Sandra?" He croaked.

"She's on her way down with the others." He heard a familiar voice. He tried to focus.

"Jack?"

"I'm here." Jack walked up to the younger man, he pulled the blanket tighter, before giving in and pulling the younger man into a bear hug. "Don't ever scare us like that again." He whispered, but he was unable to keep the affection out of his voice. It wasn't until this moment that he realised just how much he would have missed the DAC, yes he could be annoying at times, and he sometimes got them tangled up in politics, but Jack was realising that Robert could be as much of a puppet as they were, and that he was usually fighting the system alone on their behalf. When he had first heard about this stupid venture, he had automatically assumed, as had the rest of the team that Robert Strickland had been at the heart of it, then finding out what the man had had to sacrifice to be with them today he had realised that he really was one of the team. And then he had discovered that the woman who he loved like a daughter was in love with this man, and had been so afraid of their reactions that she had kept their relationship a secret. Now they had come seriously close to losing him, and that had scared him. He felt Rob rest his head on his shoulder.

"Sir, we have to get him warm and start back down." The rescuer interrupted. Jack nodded. "We have a dry tee shirt, jumper and socks, you need to get out of your wet clothes." Rob nodded slowly and tried to peel off his frozen jumper.

"Let me help." Jack helped him change, putting heat pads between layers of clothes.

"If we can get your core temperature up, you'll start to feel more alert." One of the men said. Rob nodded again, feeling a bit like the Churchill dog. The clothes were a pretty good fit, and the dry pair of socks felt heavenly, and once he had some heat pads inserted into his boots the feeling started to return to his toes. Robert soon started to feel more aware of his surroundings, his movements became more co-ordinated. He was given a thin pair of thermal gloves and some small heat packs which went inside the mittens which he put over the top. Soon was coated up and they started the long trek back. Rob felt better, but he was still cold to the bone, but the desire to get down and see if Sandra was alright kept him going. Jack walked beside him and every now and again he would reach out and put a hand on Rob's back whenever the younger man stumbled. It took a few hours but they eventually reached a point where they could be picked up by the mountain rescue emergency vehicles. When they were safely inside the jeep, Jack and Robert were both handed mugs of warming broth and enjoyed the blast of warm air coming from the car heater vents.

"How are you doing?" Jack asked, Robert hadn't said two words since they had found him, and while the man had been half frozen, Jack could understand that, but now he was slightly troubled by the quietness of his companion. Robert shrugged slightly.

"Better, but I really want a warm bath. Now the heat packs are gone, I'm feeling the cold again." He replied. Jack gave him a sideways look.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it." He scolded gently. Robert gave a shy grin.

"I really thought for a moment that I was going to die up there." He looked down at his lap, lost in thought.

"You know what, so did I. We were lucky today..."

"No. I should have told the Commissioner we were not going. I let myself get bullied into this, and I put the team at risk." Rob rubbed his hand across his eyes. "Sandra could have died, you all could have..."

"Now you listen to me young man. We all set off up this bloody mountain, and I think on a better day, it would probably been quite a nice day, but conditions turned against us, you are not responsible for that. I should have listened to you when you suggested turning back, I let my stupid pride get the better of me, Gerry and Sandra should have listened when you said to go around the rock slide, Brian too. You could have got into that blanket with Sandra and waited for rescue, but instead you acted and got us out of there." He put his arm around the Rob's shoulders. "And you know, as a team building exercise, it sort of worked, me and the others, we see you in a different light now, and we know about you and Sandra, so you don't need to hide from us any more." He smiled. "Sandra told us a little bit about you, about your history and what makes you tick." He saw the man swallow nervously. "Don't be angry with her, we had to try and keep her talking, and all she wanted to talk about was you." Rob shrugged.

"I'm not angry, I'm just glad she regained consciousness." He paused. "Was she all right? I mean..." He didn't know how to ask the question, Jack understood.

"She was frightened, she thought she might lose you. And I think when we get back, you may get something of a bollocking." He grinned, Rob couldn't help but smile back.

"I'll take it. Whatever she throws at me, it will be worth it."

/

Gerry and Brian sat in the waiting room, waiting to be called in to where Sandra was being prepped for her scan. There was still no word from Jack and the clock was ticking loudly, seemingly counting away hope. Gerry was sat in a borrowed wheelchair, his leg elevated to stop it from swelling, unable to smoke in the hospital, he was nervously chewing on his nails. Brian let out a little laugh.

"Something funny?" Gerry scowled.

"Just wondering, do you want me to push you up and down since you can't pace?" He grinned, making Gerry smile.

"Sorry. I could murder a smoke. Not that I could anyway, when I emptied my pockets earlier, I found that all my little ciggie friends have drowned. A whole pack ruined."

"It's bad for you anyway."

"And climbing a mountain in January in a monsoon isn't?"

"Exactly, so lets not push our luck for a while. I think we just used up this months quota."

"Where the hell is Jack!" Gerry exclaimed, frustrated at the lack of news. Brian patted his friend on the arm.

"Jack will find him. He'll bring him home." Brian knew how this was wearing on his friend, Sandra had gone silent as she had read the text message, and hadn't uttered a word since, it was as if she just broke when she had received what may have been the last words from the man she so very obviously loved. Brian felt guilty, he had let the man walk into the darkness without really registering what that had meant, though as the temperature had fallen, he soon realised that Robert Strickland had pretty much done a Captain Oats, and put their survival above his own. Brian wished he could turn back the clock, insist that Robert had taken a coat at least. He turned to Gerry.

"Will you do something with me?"

"Steady on!"

"Give over! I mean, if Strick... If Robert doesn't make it... Well..." He stuttered. Gerry gave him a nod of encouragement. "I don't want that pompous prick of a Commissioner telling his kids with some faceless lackey in tow. If it comes to the worst, they should find out from one of us, they should know how much he wanted to be with them this weekend."

"Yeah. I'll go with you." Gerry nodded. "Not that it's going to come to that. You'll see, any second that door will open, and they'll come walking in." Both men turned at the sound of the corridor doors opening. They held their breath for a second, then let them out as two nurses walked through.

"One day that will work." Brian smiled, then stopped as two more figures came through. "Bloody hell!" Gerry turned and looked in the direction of Brian's exclamation, before breaking into a wide grin.

"Now there is a sight for sore eyes. Told you Brian." Brian stood and couldn't stop himself from enveloping his boss in a hug.

"You had me scared to death." He told the younger man. He pulled back and nodded, slightly embarrassed. Robert smiled.

"I'm fine. A little cold and achy, but I'll be right as rain." He assured the northerner. Brian smiled. Rob turned to Gerry.

"Are you all right? Your ankle..."

"Badly twisted but not broken. Doctors told me I have to rest it for the next few weeks."

"Good, and Brian, your shoulder doesn't seem to be giving you too much trouble."

"Nah, just bruised." Brian smiled. Rob looked around, as touching as the reunion was, there was really only one person he wanted to see. Gerry coughed and pointed to the door.

"She's just having the scan."

"Am I allowed to go in?"

"Like to see them try and stop you." Jack grinned. Rob nodded and pushed open the door. As it swung shut, Brian turned to Jack.

"Is he really okay?"

"He will be. He had to be re-heated, they had to use several heat packs on him to bring his temperature anywhere near to normal."

"It was that close." Gerry asked. Jack nodded.

"Josh, the medic told me that another half an hour and we'd have been carrying a body down off that mountain. He told me that it can take as little as fifteen minutes for a combination of cold and wet to kill a healthy man."

"Bloody hell." Brian breathed, sitting back on his seat, Jack sat down the other side of Gerry.

"I really could do with a fag." Gerry muttered.

/

Sandra wanted to scream. She felt like she was in a coffin, a bright white coffin, shaped like a polo. The loud bangs as it carried out the scan searing through her temples. 'If you haven't got a brain injury when you come into this thing, you have by the time you come out.' She thought to herself. Her hands and feet were frozen, the hospital gown stopped just above the knees and it only had short sleeves. She felt herself shiver. She felt a blanket being lowered gently over her lower legs and wanted to hug whoever had been considerate enough to notice. The banging finally stopped and she heard the nurses voice tell her, 'all done'. She started to slide out of the cylinder, blinking hard against the harsh lights.

"You can sit up if you like." The nurse told her. Sandra struggled to try and sit up, she was stiff after lying still for so long, and the narrow trolley she was on didn't have any thing for her to push up against. She felt a familiar pair of hands help her and she slowly moved her head around. She wondered for a moment is she was seeing things, her mind playing tricks on her. She reached out and touched his face, a small sob escaping her. He reached out and enveloped her in his embrace. She clung to him, tears rolling down her face.

"Oh God! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He whispered. She let out a small laugh through her tears.

"I don't know whether to kiss you or slap you." She replied. He pulled back and smiled at her.

"If I get a choice, I'd prefer the first." She kissed him softly on the lips, she noticed his lips were still cold.

"Are you okay?" She asked concerned. He nodded.

"Nothing a warm bath and a night through the sheets won't fix." He assured her. She couldn't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks.

"I thought I had lost you."

"Shhh. I'm not going anywhere." He held her tightly, letting her cry into his chest.

"I want to get out of here. I want to go home."

"I know, me too. We'll see what the doctors say."

They waited a few minutes, before the doctor returned and told them that there was no sight of any internal damage within Sandra's brain, and as long as she wasn't going to be alone, they could leave. Sandra started to get dressed and Rob stepped out of the room, just in time to see Brian being reunited with his wife. Rob held back, not wanting to break into the moment. Esther spotted him and pulled him into a hug, taking him by surprise.

"Goodness, you gave us all a scare. How is Sandra?"

"She's fine, no abnormalities. We can go, she's just getting dressed."

"I'll go and call a taxi, we won't all fit in Esther's little peugeot." Jack stated, standing and turning to head outside. He stopped dead when he saw the Commissioner walking towards the group. "Oh, brilliant." He griped. The others turned to see what he was looking at. Gerry saw a look of thunder cross his boss's face, he gripped the man's arm.

"Careful, I know you probably want to punch him, so do I. But in the end he can still shut us down." Robert nodded slowly.

"Ahhh, Bob. It's good to see you are all fine, when I got the call I was a bit worried." The pompous man seemed to be oblivious to the glares which were being aimed at him, Rob wanted to wring his neck, and it was only Gerry's firm grip on his arm which was keeping him from doing something stupid. It was Esther who broke the uncomfortable silence.

"FINE! You think they are fine! Let me tell you something, besides being half frozen, Sandra has just had to have her brain scanned to make sure she hasn't got any internal injuries, Gerry here can hardly stand. My husband has a black and blue shoulder, Jack is the only one who escaped without injury, but he's exhausted from helping to search for Robert here, that's Rob by the way, he hates Bob, even I know that and we've only met a handful of times, and this poor man nearly died up there trying to raise the alarm, and why? Because you said they had to go on this stupid venture, even though Robert told you it wasn't safe." By now she was poking the man in his chest, making him retreat. She continued. "I don't know what was so important to you that you blackmailed them to go with threats of cuts and closure, but I hope you are satisfied." She stopped her rant and turned her back on him, effectively dismissing him. He spluttered.

"Yes, well, ummm." The man couldn't form a coherent word. The men were finding it hard not to laugh. Rob whispered in Brian's ear.

"You wife is amazing, and just a little bit frightening."

"You have no idea." Brian replied, proudly.

"Sir. I have e-mailed a photograph of the summit of Skafell peak to your office e-mail. I trust we have completed our team building trial. So there will be no more interference with our budget and staffing."

"Ahh, yes Robert. Ummm, yes, fine." He spluttered. "Umm, I'll see you in the office next week, perhaps you should take a few days off."

"Yes sir, I planned to. And the rest of my team will be having some time to recuperate. Fully paid of course."

"Yes, yes of course." He retreated back the way he had come. "I will be staying with the Chief Constable of the Cumbrian constabulary for a few days. We'll be reviewing the wisdom of this team building event in the light of what happened today." He looked slightly embarrassed. "Umm, yes, good night." He left the way he had come. Jack turned to them.

"Pillock." He muttered. "I'll go and call that taxi. We may as well stay the night, it's too late to start driving back now, and to be honest I just want to go to bed." Jack had told them, so he went outside to make the call.

/

It wasn't long before they all arrived back at the hotel, battered and bruised and still cold, they filed into the lobby, Gerry hobbled along on crutches. The receptionist saw them and hurried to greet them.

"Oh, goodness. I'm so glad you're all safe. Are you alright?" She asked. Rob nodded.

"Just a little cold and battered, and a little bit embarrassed."

"Oh, don't be. The mountain can be a bugger, catches a lot of people out, and the weather did turn very quickly. Here are your keys." She handed them the keys which they had handed in at reception that morning. Except Sandra didn't have one.

"Ummm, where's mine?" She queried. Jack smiled.

"I told the hotel to collect yours and Robert's stuff and put you in a double room. There's no point keeping up the charade now, besides, the doctor said you shouldn't be alone for at least twenty four hours." Sandra walked up to Jack and gave him a warm hug.

"Thank you." She whispered. He shrugged.

"Yeah, well. He's not so bad." Jack dead panned. His eyes twinkled. Gerry and Brian grinned.

"He has his moments." Gerry agreed, a big grin of his face.

"Anyway, he shouldn't be left alone either. You can help him warm up." Brian added, Esther elbowed him. Sandra blushed, but smiled at Robert.

"I think you've got their approval."

"If I'd have known all it would take is a near death experience..." Sandra gave him a playful slap on the arm.

"Enough. I just want to go to bed." She whinged, laying her head on Rob's shoulder.

"Eh up!" Brian exclaimed, laughing.

"Oh, shut up, not enough energy for that." She countered. Rob put his hand on her back.

"Come on. There's a hot bath with your name on it." He nodded to the three men, wishing them goodnight and they set off towards the lifts. Gerry turned to Brian.

"I'm off. I'm bloody knackered." Gerry yawned, Jack nodded

"Come on, I'll give you a hand. Brian, I asked them to upgrade you and Esther to a double as well." Esther smiled at him gratefully.

"I'll get my bag from the car." She went back out to the car park.

"I don't need you to warm me up." Gerry griped

"Not bloody offering!"

Brian laughed at his friends banter as he watched them disappear before settling down on one of the sofas in the lobby to wait for his wife. He looked across at a young couple who were sending little glances in his direction. He realised he must look a bit like a tramp who had wandered in off the streets. He smiled.

"Planning on walking the mountain tomorrow?" He asked cheerfully, they nodded suspiciously, he shook his head. "I shouldn't bother if I was you."

/


End file.
